July,
2005. The days seem to be stampeding through
my life like a heard of wild buffalo. As they rush past, I find
it increasingly difficult to round up enough hours to even begin
putting a dent in the ever-evolving “to-do” list.
However, as I survey the farm and its current condition, I am
amazed at all that has been accomplished within the past few
months. The entire process so far has brought with it many gains
as well as plenty of setbacks, and both have offered some valuable
lessons.

The beginning of the season started with some challenges that caused me to
alter my plans quite significantly. Our first farmers market
here in Buena Vista was a dismal failure. The other two venders
were no-shows and the customer turnout was virtually nonexistent.
I had little to offer in the form of produce anyhow, a result
of not getting seeds started early enough. The other venders
tried selling goods the following weekend, while I was out
of town, and had little success. After talking with another
farmer who had the same experience when she had tried farmers’
markets in this valley a few years ago, I decided the whole
thing seemed like a waste of time and that I would be better
off spending my Saturdays on the farm. I hope to try selling
at another already established farmers market a few towns
over later in the season.

The second blow came as my truck began to have some technical
difficulties and landed itself in the shop, resulting in an
$1,100 mechanic bill and a major obstacle for my farm budget.
All of a sudden the whole farming thing seemed a bit risky,
financially. So I took on more hours at my two side jobs,
which meant I would be working around 26 hours a week away
from the farm. Needless to say, farm projects began piling
up. With so many tasks needing immediate attention I had a
hard time prioritizing. This seems to be one of the greatest
challenges of farming. There are many days that there are
a handful of jobs and it is crucial that they all are tended
to, yet there just aren’t enough hours in a day.

As I began sliding further and further behind in the garden,
the weeds got further and further ahead. It seems the manure
that I had so highly praised harbored a plethora of lambs
quarter and one other type of weed seed. Though most of the
pile had sat for over three years, a good portion of the manure
on top must not have been given enough time to heat up to
the point of seed annihilation. I am positive this is where
most of the weeds came from, as I had combined this manure
with my weed-free starting mix and the same two varieties
of weeds found their way into those pots and trays as well.
However, after a few intense days of weed pulling with a few
friends, my wonderful mother, and a fabulous little tool known
as the “hula hoe,” we managed to thwart the majority
of those little water- and nutrient-sucking thieves. Once
the competition was alleviated, the vegetables took off.

Though I was able to get most of the vegetables planted,
a large portion of my flowers and herbs—both of which
I had hoped to be able to market—never quite made their
way into the ground. About one quarter of the garden went
unplanted, but I hope to use that space for a green mulch
of winter rye and a cold-tolerant legume this fall. I had
underestimated the amount of salad greens I would need to
plant, and for some reason the succession planting of my lettuces
had a poor germination rate. The endive and escarole got bitter
quickly with the intense heat spell we had. Arugula grew exceptionally
well but, just as it was ready to harvest, got ransacked by
a horde of little, jumping flee beetles that left the patch
looking as if they had been wielding a shotgun in the garden.
I have since learned that a garlic-infused spray will detour
these pests.

On the brighter side of things, the rest of the garden is
doing well and I should be able to market some tomatoes, chard,
peas, squash, sorrel, garlic, oinions and kale. Fifty more
pullets have been added to my flock of chickens to meet up
with high demands for eggs. The coyote that had made off with
a half dozen of my free-range birds has been illusive as of
late. I have purchased two more Nubian goats, as Colorado
just passed legislation in favor of raw goat milk, and I am
looking into the possibility of getting certified so that
I can sell my yogurt, cheese, and milk. Finally, I have been
blessed with some great friends and amazing parents who have
all lent a helping hand on numerous occasions and have made
this whole farm experience possible and more enjoyable.

This material was developed
with the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture through
the Risk Management Agency, under Agreement No. 031E08310147.